A Portrait In Purple

BY JEFF MILLER

 

It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.

 

Boundary Waters, Minn., was normally the best of vacation spots for the group of friends who were there in August of 1976. But along with the stormclouds over the head of President Nixon. the sky over the lakes went.overcast with gray. It had rained 11 out of 13 days, and the water was chilly and sullen, drowning the spirits of the group.

 

Except for one person.. That one spent the rainy days exercising his right to deny reality, and went swimming every day in water so cold only the nesting loons could stand it. His friends felt the similarities went beyond mere coincidence, and the name stuck.